Graduate Theological Union - Riess Potterveldhttp://gtu.edu/tags/riess-potterveld
enGTU Board Endorses New Initiatives for Expansion, Affirms Commitment to Robust Degree Programs and Research Libraryhttp://gtu.edu/news/gtu-board-endorses-new-initiatives-expansion-affirms-commitment-robust-degree-programs-research
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>October 30, 2014, Berkeley, CA &mdash; At its meeting on October 29, 2014, the Board of Trustees of the Graduate Theological Union reviewed a series of recommendations from a consulting firm regarding the school&rsquo;s current and future programming. The board has announced several key decisions that will strengthen the GTU&rsquo;s status as a premier center for the study of the world&rsquo;s major religious traditions.</p>
<p>The Board strongly endorsed a plan presented by President Riess Potterveld that includes eight different initiatives to expand the academic centers and programs of the GTU. These initiatives include measures to create endowed faculty positions and programs focused on the Hindu, Sikh, and Jain religious traditions, as well as Mormon Studies. These new directions will complement the hallmark GTU programs and degree offerings in Buddhist, Christian, Islamic, and Jewish Studies. On Monday, October 27, an agreement between the GTU and the Dharma Civilization Foundation was signed that will bring a full-time faculty member in Dharma Studies to the GTU in Spring 2015.</p>
<p>Recognizing the significance and uniqueness of the GTU&rsquo;s academic programs, the Board unanimously affirmed its enthusiastic ongoing commitment to a robust doctoral program that is ecumenical, interreligious, and interdisciplinary. The GTU will explore the expansion of the existing MA area of concentration in Interreligious Studies for students whose interests focus on study of multiple traditions. The Board also reaffirmed its commitment to maintain a world-class research library for GTU students and faculty.</p>
<p>In addition, the Board celebrated last year&rsquo;s stellar performance of the school&rsquo;s investments, which added $4 million to the endowment, while directing the administration to take steps necessary to narrow the operating deficit for the current year and to propose a balanced budget for next year.</p>
<p>During the meeting, members of the board viewed for the first time works of sacred art that were given to the GTU by the Lanier Graham family this past summer. The GTU will soon make this art available for viewing by its students and the wider public, beginning with an exhibition of Tibetan Buddhist sculptures in February 2015.</p>
<p><strong><u>About the GTU</u></strong></p>
<p>The Graduate Theological Union, located in Berkeley, CA, is a theological consortium offering education for academic and religious leadership within a unique ecumenical and interreligious context. Founded in 1962, the consortium is the largest and most diverse partnership of seminaries and graduate schools in the United States, dedicated to building bridges within and across different religious traditions by educating students for teaching, research, ministry, and service. The GTU works collaboratively with the University of California, Berkeley, and is the home of the Flora Lamson Hewlett Library, one of the largest theological libraries in the country.</p>
<p><em>For more information, contact Doug Davidson, 510-649-2423, communications@gtu.edu</em></p>
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</ul>Fri, 31 Oct 2014 17:44:20 +0000communications1642 at http://gtu.eduhttp://gtu.edu/news/gtu-board-endorses-new-initiatives-expansion-affirms-commitment-robust-degree-programs-research#commentsDr. Riess Potterveld Elected President of the Graduate Theological Unionhttp://gtu.edu/news/dr-riess-potterveld-elected-president-graduate-theological-union
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>Berkeley, CA - The Board of Trustees of the Graduate Theological Union (GTU) has announced the election of Riess Potterveld as the next president of the GTU. Dr. Potterveld, who has served as the GTU’s acting president since July 1, 2013, was elected by the unanimous vote of attending board members at a meeting on June 20, 2014.</p>
<p>GTU Board chair Hal Leach commented, “Throughout his year as acting president, Riess Potterveld has worked tirelessly to create new partnerships, open new possibilities, and expand the representation of the world’s religious traditions at the Graduate Theological Union. Dr. Potterveld’s continuing leadership will provide the stability and consistency of vision that will enable the GTU to enhance its position as a premier institution for the scholarly study of religion in our world.”</p>
<p><img alt="Riess Potterveld" src="/sites/default/files/docs/news/Riess%20Potterveld.jpg" style="width: 200px; height: 300px; float: right; margin: 6px;" /></p>
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<p>Under Potterveld’s leadership, the GTU has prioritized the advancement of its unique character as a center of interreligious learning, while continuing to cultivate ecumenical engagement within the Christian tradition. Several new initiatives are currently in process. These include new partnerships with Hindus and other Asian religions that will lead directly to new GTU course offerings in the coming year and, hopefully, the development of full academic centers in those religions.</p>
<p> “With nearly twenty member schools, centers, institutes, and affiliates from across the spectrum of the world’s religious traditions, the GTU is an unparalleled center of ecumenical and interreligious scholarship.” says Potterveld. “At a time when interreligious dialogue and understanding are absolutely essential and the yearning for deeper spirituality continues to grow, the GTU provides a place where practitioners of the world’s faiths can come together in a diverse context of academic excellence and rigorous dialogue. The Graduate Theological Union offers an unparalleled environment for students, scholars, and the wider public to explore the deep wisdom of the great religious traditions of the world.”</p>
<p>Before becoming the acting president of the GTU in July 2013, Potterveld served for three years as president of the Pacific School of Religion (PSR), one of the member schools of the GTU. Previously, he was president of Lancaster Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania for eight years. Potterveld also served as PSR’s vice president for institutional advancement from 1993 to 2002, and its acting dean from 2000 to 2002.</p>
<p>Dr. Potterveld earned his M.Div. from Yale Divinity School and his M.A. and Ph.D. from Claremont Graduate University. He is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ. He and his wife Tara, an accomplished artist and nationally-known sign language interpreter, share four sons and seven grandchildren.</p>
<p><strong>About the GTU</strong></p>
<p>The Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California, is home to the largest Ph.D. program in religious studies in North America. As a consortium of independent theological schools, the Graduate Theological Union includes eight seminaries, two of which are Roman Catholic, five Protestant, and one Unitarian Universalist. In addition, the GTU features a variety of centers and affiliates, including the Center for Jewish Studies, the Center for Islamic Studies, the Institute of Buddhist Studies, the Patriarch Athenagoras Orthodox Institute, the Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences, and the Center for Arts, Religion and Education. Founded in 1962, the Graduate Theological Union is dedicated to building bridges within and across different religious traditions by educating students for teaching, research, ministry, and service. The GTU works collaboratively with the University of California, Berkeley, and is the home of the Flora Lamson Hewlett Library, one of the largest theological libraries in the U.S.</p>
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</ul>Tue, 01 Jul 2014 17:11:40 +0000communications1606 at http://gtu.eduhttp://gtu.edu/news/dr-riess-potterveld-elected-president-graduate-theological-union#commentsFall 2014 Presidents Columnhttp://gtu.edu/news/fall-2014-presidents-column
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The founding documents of the Graduate Theological Union describe a mission that is both ecumenical and interfaith. For more than five decades, we have lived into that mission, but today our foot is definitely on the accelerator. We are currently offering our first courses on Hindu sacred texts and Hindu comparative ethics; we hope to offer our first courses in Sikh Studies as soon as next year. The purpose of these new initiatives is to increase the representation at the GTU table of all of the major religious traditions of the world, so that scholar-practitioners within these great traditions of wisdom and faith can engage one another and together address challenging issues that grip our planet.</p>
<p>I have found no better rationale for this than the words of Northrop Frye, quoted by Mark Toulouse in a recent issue of <em>Theological Education</em>. Frye spoke of how all human beings are defined by social conditioning. &ldquo;But,&rdquo; he wrote, &ldquo;while our conditioning defines us, it also limits, even imprisons us, and awareness of the limitations built into who and what we are, is one of the central elements in education, particularly religious education.&rdquo;</p>
<p>This insight underscores the importance of the interreligious scholarship that takes place here at the GTU. Interreligious education can be liberating, enabling each of us to gain perspective on other viewpoints and cultural wisdom that is at odds with our settled and habituated world. It is not just tolerance of the other, but true enrichment and growth that are the sought-for fruits of our educational enterprise.</p>
<p>Even as we seek the continuing expansion of courses and religious centers at the GTU, we are celebrating the receipt this summer of a gift of 189 works of sacred art from all over the world. These works, collected by the Lanier Graham family, are a graphic representation of the sacred sensibilities and artistic expression that have flourished in tribes and countries all over the world. We are seeking the necessary funding for display cases so these works can be shown throughout our buildings to fulfill their function&mdash;stimulating devotion and a life of the spirit.</p>
<p>We are planning a significant number of educational programs for wider constituencies (lectures, forums, conferences, online resources) this year. Already this past summer, our Center for Islamic Studies co-sponsored a conference on Islamophobia that attracted 300 regular participants and over 6,000 viewers online. While the GTU continues to be centered on creating scholarship and new thought, we take seriously the issue of how spirituality can be applied to the real problems of the world. You will see this concern reflected in this issue of <em>Currents,</em> where we look with others at issues of climate change and economic inequality.</p>
<p>We hope you will give this issue a good read, and we encourage you to use the GTU website to keep yourself updated on our online programs available to you as part of our wider learning community.</p>
<p class="rteright">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="rteright"><img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/Reiss%20sig.JPG" style="width: 250px; height: 45px;" /></p>
<p class="rteright">Riess Potterveld&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above clearfix"><h3 class="field-label">Tags: </h3><ul class="links"><li class="taxonomy-term-reference-0" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/taxonomy/term/23" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">news</a></li><li class="taxonomy-term-reference-1" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/riess-potterveld" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Riess Potterveld</a></li><li class="taxonomy-term-reference-2" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/taxonomy/term/128" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Currents</a></li><li class="taxonomy-term-reference-3" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/fall-2014" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Fall 2014</a></li><li class="taxonomy-term-reference-4" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/taxonomy/term/89" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Interreligious</a></li><li class="taxonomy-term-reference-5" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/lanier-graham" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Lanier Graham</a></li><li class="taxonomy-term-reference-6" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/cis" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">CIS | Center for Islamic Studies</a></li></ul></div><div class="field field-name-field-category field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above clearfix"><h3 class="field-label">Category: </h3><ul class="links"><li class="taxonomy-term-reference-0"><a href="/taxonomy/term/3" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">News</a></li></ul></div><ul class="links inline"><li class="addtoany first last"><span>
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</ul>Mon, 03 Nov 2014 19:19:16 +0000commassistant1644 at http://gtu.eduhttp://gtu.edu/news/fall-2014-presidents-column#commentsWhat’s that you see? Interfaith panel explores art and spiritualityhttp://gtu.edu/news/what%E2%80%99s-you-see-interfaith-panel-explores-art-spirituality
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p><span style="font-size:10pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva,sans-serif;"><img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/images/news/Modern%20Divine%20panel.jpg" style="width: 200px; height: 267px; margin: 6px; float: right;" />The Graduate Theological Union, in conjunction with the Center for Arts, Religion and Education, sponsored <em>Modern Divine: An Interfaith Panel on Art and Spirituality</em> on October 27 at the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco. The panel, consisting of Deena Aranoff, CJS, Devin Zuber, PSR, Munir Jiwa, CIS, and Riess Potterveld, GTU (moderator), shared insights and reflections on works of art in the CJM exhibit <em>Beyond Belief: 100 Years of the Spiritual in Modern Art</em>. (<a href="http://beyondbelief.thecjm.org/">http://beyondbelief.thecjm.org/</a>) This collaborative event showcased not only varied expressions of spirituality through artistic medium, but also the GTU and CARE’s ability to help the public better understand this vehicle for communicating deep, intense, and sometimes controversial matters of faith.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:10pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">The GTU recognizes that art is a legitimate and quite common avenue for capturing and conveying spiritual values. Art speaks in ways that academic jargon and descriptive language cannot.</span></span></p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above clearfix"><h3 class="field-label">Tags: </h3><ul class="links"><li class="taxonomy-term-reference-0" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/art" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">art</a></li><li class="taxonomy-term-reference-1" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/care" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">CARE | Center for the Arts, Religion and Education</a></li><li class="taxonomy-term-reference-2" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/devin-zuber" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Devin Zuber</a></li><li class="taxonomy-term-reference-3" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/taxonomy/term/110" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Munir Jiwa</a></li><li class="taxonomy-term-reference-4" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/taxonomy/term/67" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Deena Aranoff</a></li><li class="taxonomy-term-reference-5" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/riess-potterveld" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Riess Potterveld</a></li><li class="taxonomy-term-reference-6" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/cis" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">CIS | Center for Islamic Studies</a></li><li class="taxonomy-term-reference-7" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/cjs" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">CJS | The Richard S. Dinner Center for Jewish Studies</a></li></ul></div><div class="field field-name-field-category field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above clearfix"><h3 class="field-label">Category: </h3><ul class="links"><li class="taxonomy-term-reference-0"><a href="/taxonomy/term/3" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">News</a></li></ul></div><ul class="links inline"><li class="addtoany first last"><span>
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</ul>Mon, 28 Oct 2013 22:02:08 +0000communications1454 at http://gtu.eduhttp://gtu.edu/news/what%E2%80%99s-you-see-interfaith-panel-explores-art-spirituality#commentsPerceiving the Sacred Around Ushttp://gtu.edu/news-events/currents/fall-2013/perceiving-sacred-around-us
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><h3>
A Letter from Acting President Riess Potterveld</h3>
<p>Although I am new to the Office of the President at the Graduate Theological Union, I have worked on behalf of the seminaries of the GTU consortium for thirteen years in a variety of roles as fund-raiser, academic dean, and president. Students and faculty have stated that a primal value for studying and teaching at the GTU has been the access to multiple institutions embodying such rich and diverse religious traditions. Individual institutions are valuable, but the whole, creatively interacting, is uniquely valuable. As president, I feel a deep commitment to the health and sustainability of each part as well as the whole union.</p>
<p>This place is wonderfully saturated with opportunities to learn about and to engage religions and cultures of the world through myriad intersections. At the intersection of art, faith, and spirituality is a fascinating current exhibit at the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco. Titled <em>Beyond Belief: 100 years of the Spiritual in Modern Art, </em>all the works in this show are from the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. On the final day of the exhibit, Sunday, October 27, I will moderate an interreligious panel discussion on art and spirituality at the museum. Joining me will be Devin Zuber, Pacific School of Religion; Deena Aranoff, Center for Jewish Studies; and Munir Jiwa, Center for Islamic Studies. This panel is sponsored by the GTU affiliated Center for Arts, Religion, and Education.</p>
<p>Art often juxtaposes a sense of universality with very particular and uniquely personal meanings. I remember standing in a Chicago gallery near a bronze sculpture of a mother and daughter created by my wife, Tara. In the sculpture, the mother figure is aged, withered, joints swollen with arthritis. The daughter is obviously more robust and comforting to the mother upon whom she lays one hand in tenderness. A viewer in the gallery observing the sculpture and silently weeping, turned to me, seemingly to explain her emotion: “I have cancer and I see both figures as myself – my mortality, my strength – wedded together.” The art form released her own deep and unique “reading” – her meaning.</p>
<p>The <em>Beyond Belief</em> exhibition will offer, I am certain, countless opportunities to ruminate on exactly how the sacred moves through our world and touches us, claims us, and causes us mysteriously to recalibrate the way we pursue our lives.</p>
<p>Part of what the GTU inspires through its seminaries, centers, programs, and affiliates is new thought, new constructions of meaning, new ways of perceiving the relevance and impact of our faith traditions on the cultures and societies in which our lives are embedded. Yet, I perceive that the surrounding world does not fully appreciate the power of the GTU self-description: “Where religion meets the world.” This mission hints at a generative power to create new and different and <u>better</u> worlds. To me this feels like a calling worthy of our investment.</p>
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</ul>Wed, 16 Oct 2013 01:56:17 +0000communications1456 at http://gtu.eduhttp://gtu.edu/news-events/currents/fall-2013/perceiving-sacred-around-us#comments2013 Welcome Reception and Installation of President Riess Potterveldhttp://gtu.edu/events/2013-welcome-reception
<div class="field field-name-field-event-date field-type-datetime field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Dates:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single" property="dc:date" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2013-09-18T15:30:00-07:00">Wednesday, September 18, 2013 - 3:30pm</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>Denniston Commons (Refectory)<br />
Church Divinity School of the Pacific<br />
2451 Ridge Road, Berkeley</p>
<p>There will be a brief program at 4:00 pm, including the installation of Riess Potterveld as acting President of the GTU and the introduction of new faculty and visiting scholars.</p>
<p>If you have questions, please contact Angela Muñoz in the Dean’s Office at <a href="mailto:amunoz@gtu.edu?subject=GTU%20Welcome%20Reception">amunoz@gtu.edu</a> or 510/649-2440.</p>
<p><i>Free and open to the public.</i></p>
<p> </p>
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</ul>Wed, 11 Sep 2013 16:43:49 +0000admin1418 at http://gtu.eduhttp://gtu.edu/events/2013-welcome-reception#commentsDoctoral Student Forum with President Riess Potterveldhttp://gtu.edu/events/doctoral-student-forum-president-riess-potterveld
<div class="field field-name-field-event-date field-type-datetime field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Dates:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">Tuesday, September 10, 2013 - <span class="date-display-start" property="dc:date" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2013-09-10T17:00:00-07:00">5:00pm</span> to <span class="date-display-end" property="dc:date" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2013-09-10T19:00:00-07:00">7:00pm</span></span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>Meet with President Riess Potterveld for a chance to ask questions and voice concerns about current developments at the GTU. Courtesy of the Student Advisory Committee.</p>
<p>Light refreshments will be provided.</p>
<p>Dinner Board Room, GTU Library, 2400 Ridge Road, Berkeley</p>
<p><em>Doctoral students only. Not open to the public.</em></p>
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</ul>Thu, 05 Sep 2013 22:27:57 +0000communications1412 at http://gtu.eduhttp://gtu.edu/events/doctoral-student-forum-president-riess-potterveld#commentsModern Divine panel discussion at Contemporary Jewish Museumhttp://gtu.edu/events/modern-divine-panel-discussion-contemporary-jewish-museum
<div class="field field-name-field-event-date field-type-datetime field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Dates:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">Sunday, October 27, 2013 - <span class="date-display-start" property="dc:date" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2013-10-27T15:00:00-07:00">3:00pm</span> to <span class="date-display-end" property="dc:date" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2013-10-27T17:00:00-07:00">5:00pm</span></span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>Contemporary Jewish Museum, <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?oe=utf-8&amp;rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&amp;client=firefox-a&amp;um=1&amp;ie=UTF-8&amp;q=736+mission+st,+san+francsico,+ca&amp;fb=1&amp;gl=us&amp;hq=736+mission+st,+san+francsico,&amp;hnear=ca&amp;cid=0,0,18004742549393000674&amp;ei=Atr5SvrJO4HesgO95c2vBA&amp;sa=X&amp;oi=local_result&amp;ct=image&amp;resnum=1&amp;ved=0CAoQnwIwAA" target="_blank">736 Mission Street (btwn. 3rd and 4th Streets), San Francisco, CA 94103</a></p>
<p><strong>Moderator</strong>: <a href="[GTU_HOME_URL]/news/riess-potterveld-elected-acting-president-graduate-theological-union">Riess Potterveld</a>, President of Graduate Theological Union</p>
<p><strong>Panelists</strong>:</p>
<p><a href="[GTU_HOME_URL]/academics/faculty-directory/a-b/copy_of_deena-aranoff">Deena Aranoff</a>, Assistant Professor for Jewish Studies, Graduate Theological Union</p>
<p><a href="[GTU_HOME_URL]/centersandaffiliates/islamicstudies/faculty">Munir Jiwa</a>, Director and Associate Professor, Center for Islamic Studies, Graduate Theological Union</p>
<p><a href="[GTU_HOME_URL]/academics/faculty-directory/o-q/devin-phillip-zuber">Devin Zuber</a>, Assistant Professor for American Studies, Literature, and Swedenborgian Studies, Pacific School of Religion</p>
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</ul>Wed, 24 Jul 2013 21:14:34 +0000cis1375 at http://gtu.eduhttp://gtu.edu/events/modern-divine-panel-discussion-contemporary-jewish-museum#commentsRiess Potterveld elected Acting President of the Graduate Theological Unionhttp://gtu.edu/news/riess-potterveld-elected-acting-president-graduate-theological-union
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p><strong><img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/IMG_9150.jpg" style="width: 200px; height: 300px; margin: 5px; float: right;" />BERKELEY, CA – </strong>On May 17, the Graduate Theological Union (GTU) and Pacific School of Religion (PSR) informed their communities that Dr. Riess W. Potterveld, PSR President, will become Acting President of the GTU. PSR is one of the oldest members of the GTU, which is the largest consortium of seminaries and graduate schools in the country. Many of the schools are concentrated in an area north of UC Berkeley known as “Holy Hill.”</p>
<p> Potterveld’s two-year appointment, which is effective July 1, 2013, will provide the GTU with stable leadership while the Board of Trustees develops plans for filling the position on a permanent basis.</p>
<p> “There is a growing interest in spirituality and religion across the globe.” Potterveld said. “At a time when interreligious dialogue and understanding are essential, the Graduate Theological Union offers incredible opportunities to students and the wider public to engage in the study and appreciation of the great religious traditions of the world.”</p>
<p> Potterveld's election comes on the heels of the announced departure of GTU President James A. Donahue, who has been tapped to serve as the first lay president of St. Mary's College of California in Moraga.</p>
<p> Under Donahue's thirteen years of leadership, the GTU strengthened interreligious endeavors while maintaining its commitment to ecumenical relations among Christian traditions. Donahue spearheaded the creation of the Center for Islamic Studies and increased funding for the Richard S. Dinner Center for Jewish Studies.</p>
<p> Potterveld's commitment to the consortium's core mission of “building bridges across Christian denominations and other faith traditions” has already produced fruit. He oversaw the sale of a PSR-owned building to Zaytuna College, the first Islamic undergraduate institution in the United States. Zaytuna plans to relocate to “Holy Hill” by 2014 and anticipates participating in the interreligious community.</p>
<p> “This development will give PSR students and the whole GTU community further opportunities to learn more about the fastest growing religion in our world,” he said.</p>
<p> During Potterveld's three-year presidency, the 147-year old multidenominational seminary underwent both belt-tightening, and new program development. In Fall 2014, the school will roll out new courses that will prepare students seeking deeper ways to connect their activism and non-profit work, as well as those called to more traditional paths of ministry.</p>
<p> “He has led PSR’s adaptation to the difficult new realities of theological education with wisdom and sensitivity,” PSR Board Chair Julien Phillips said. “I can think of no one better equipped than Riess to lead the GTU into its next era.”</p>
<p> Currently Potterveld is co-convener of a task force, commissioned by the GTU Council of Presidents, which is evaluating the potential for member schools and other organizations to physically consolidate and share facilities; the goal is to reduce costs and increase synergies.</p>
<p> GTU Board of Trustees Chair Hal Leach commented, “Riess' experience provides critical insight into the dynamics of the GTU. We look forward to exploring new opportunities for continued cooperation and putting the GTU on solid footing for years to come.”</p>
<p> Potterveld also brings with him over 20 years of education and fundraising experience, as well as knowledge of what many of the schools in the consortium may have in their futures.</p>
<p> “There are enormous challenges faced by many theological schools today – among them declining enrollments and insufficient capital. I really look forward to introducing new people and supporters to the Graduate Theological Union,” said Potterveld.</p>
<p> “With almost 1,100 students and more than 600 courses per year offered in degree and certificate programs, the schools of the GTU are a unique composition of scholars and students exploring the interface of religion with culture, art, science, sacred texts, and beyond. We will be looking for new ways people outside the GTU can share in these engaging resources.”</p>
<p> Pacific School of Religion's Board of Trustees has already appointed a Presidential Search Committee, and will begin working immediately to identify interim leadership.</p>
<p> Potterveld earned his M.Div. from Yale Divinity School, his M.A. and Ph.D. from Claremont Graduate School, and is an ordained United Church of Christ minister. Before becoming President of Pacific School of Religion, he was President of Lancaster Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania for eight years. He also served as PSR's Vice President for Institutional Advancement from 1993-2002, and its Acting Dean from 2000-2002.</p>
<p> He and his wife Tara, an accomplished artist and nationally-known sign language interpreter, share four sons and six grandchildren.</p>
<p> <u>About the GTU</u></p>
<p> Founded in 1962, the Graduate Theological Union is a consortium of nine seminaries: American Baptist Seminary of the West; Church Divinity School of the Pacific (Episcopal); Dominican School of Philosophy &amp; Theology; Franciscan School of Theology; Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University; Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary; Pacific School of Religion (multidenominational); San Francisco Theological Seminary (Presbyterian); and Starr King School of Ministry (Unitarian-Universalist).</p>
<p> The GTU's eleven Centers of Distinction provide opportunities to engage with Orthodox Christianity, Asian culture and faith traditions, the Black Church, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, the arts, the natural sciences, women's studies, and more.</p>
<p> Committed to creating conversations across faith traditions and disciplines, the GTU produces pioneering leaders in teaching, research, and service who are prepared to engage the increasing complexities of a global society.</p>
<p> <u>About PSR</u></p>
<p> A multidenominational Christian seminary in Berkeley, CA, Pacific School of Religion has been preparing bold leaders for historic and emerging faith communities since 1866. Its graduates are known for innovative ministries of compassion and justice around the world. It has been a member of the Graduate Theological Union since 1964.</p>
<p> ###</p>
<p> <em>Contact: joi foley<br />
510/849-8222<br /><a href="mailto:jfoley@gtu.edu">jfoley@gtu.edu</a></em></p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above clearfix"><h3 class="field-label">Tags: </h3><ul class="links"><li class="taxonomy-term-reference-0" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/riess-potterveld" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Riess Potterveld</a></li><li class="taxonomy-term-reference-1" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/psr" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">PSR | Pacific School of Religion</a></li><li class="taxonomy-term-reference-2" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/taxonomy/term/175" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Press Release</a></li></ul></div><div class="field field-name-field-category field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above clearfix"><h3 class="field-label">Category: </h3><ul class="links"><li class="taxonomy-term-reference-0"><a href="/taxonomy/term/3" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">News</a></li></ul></div><ul class="links inline"><li class="addtoany first last"><span>
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</ul>Fri, 17 May 2013 19:55:19 +0000communications1339 at http://gtu.eduhttp://gtu.edu/news/riess-potterveld-elected-acting-president-graduate-theological-union#commentsFrom the Presidenthttp://gtu.edu/about/about-gtu
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><div class="gtu-imported-old-content">
<p>Daily experiences remind me that the GTU tag line probably ought to read: “Where religion engages the world,” rather than “where religion meets the world.” The member schools, centers, institutes, and affiliates of the Graduate Theological Union actively engage the world in all its diversity—provoking new thought, igniting expanded spiritual awareness, and transforming lives. Let me offer just a few recent examples of how the GTU is shaping the future of religious studies: </p>
</div>
<ul><li style="margin-left: 0.25in;">
Laurie Zoloth, GTU ’93, was recently elected President of the American Academy of Religion, and has issued a call for the next meeting of its 10,000 college, university, and seminary professors to focus upon the effects of global warming on the poor.</li>
<li style="margin-left: 0.25in;">
On April 7, our Women’s Studies in Religion program hosted a day of dialogue featuring three prolific Latina theologians—Jeanette Rodriguez, Nancy Pineda-Madrid, and Cecilia González-Andrieu—each of whom received her doctorate from the GTU. These scholar-practitioners reflected on the theme: “The Good, The True, and the Beautiful: Latina Theology and its Evocative Glimpses.”</li>
<li style="margin-left: 0.25in;">
The GTU Board of Trustees recently voted to prioritize the advancement of the interreligious character of the GTU, and to actively pursue partnerships with Hindu, Jain, Sikh communities as representative of Dharma traditions. For the GTU, the representation at the table of the world’s great religious traditions will soon become more inclusive and complete. </li>
<li style="margin-left: 0.25in;">
Dr. Susannah Heschel (daughter of Rabbi Abraham Heschel) spoke to a full crowd in February about a group of 19<sup>th</sup> century German scholars who studied the Qur’an in depth, translated it from Arabic into German, and explored the similarities between Judaism and Islam as monotheistic religions built upon ethical structures. The lecture was a reminder that the ongoing cooperative work of the Center for Jewish Studies and the Center for Islamic Studies has deep roots in the past.</li>
<li style="margin-left: 0.25in;">
Santa Clara University/Jesuit School of Theology hosted an appearance of the Dalai Lama who, along with Silicon Valley corporate leaders, focused on contemporary business ethics. The Dalai Lama reminded us that the key to ethical behavior is to break stifling self-absorption and put into practice a compassionate regard for others. He noted that this wisdom has circulated through human communities for a very long time but remains highly relevant to contemporary human enterprises.</li>
</ul><p>The Graduate Theological Union is committed to becoming a more robust and comprehensive center where the world’s great religious traditions engage one another, so that we might offer the next generation of scholars and religious and non-profit leaders unique opportunities to prepare for the diverse contexts in which they will teach and lead. With your support and partnership, the GTU will expand its mission of providing a vital space where religion and the world intersect, as we seek to work toward peace-making, social transformation, and sustainable practices in the twenty-first century.</p>
<p><em>--Riess Potterveld </em></p>
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</ul>Wed, 02 May 2012 11:13:40 +0000admin47 at http://gtu.eduhttp://gtu.edu/about/about-gtu#comments